The metro in the Chinese city of Xi'an was officially opened in September 2011, although planning for its construction began in 1980. It took a lot of time to agree on the project and preparatory work, and therefore the laying of the first station took place only in 2006. Today, the Xi'an metro is an important part of the transportation system of the nearly 8 million city.
There are two lines in the Xi'an metro, the total length of which reaches almost 52 kilometers. To transport passengers, 40 stations have been opened; they receive up to 170 thousand people daily. Xi'an Metro's annual passenger traffic is up to 60 million.
The first stage of the Xi'an metro was commissioned in 2011. This line has brown markings on public transport schemes. It crosses Xi'an from north to south through the central quarters of the business center. the route goes underground under the famous South and North city gates and under the Bell Tower. The length of the "brown" line is more than 26 kilometers, most of the tracks are laid underground. There are 21 stations on the route.
The second line of the Xi'an metro is the "blue" route, which was laid in 2010. The line was put into operation in the fall of 2013, and today there are 19 stations for the entry and exit of passengers on the route with a length of almost 26 kilometers. The "blue" line connects the western and eastern quarters of the city with its central part. The authorities plan to extend this line to the suburb of Xi'an, the city of Xianyang, where the international airport is located. It is there that all the guests of Xi'an arrive, and therefore the metro station will be very useful there.
Xi'an Subway
Xi'an subway opening hours
The Xi'an subway opens at 6 a.m. and carries passengers until midnight. Train intervals depend on the day of the week and time of day, but at rush hours you have to wait for your train no longer than three minutes. All stations are equipped with information screens showing the arrival time of the next train.
Xi'an subway tickets
Payment for travel on the Xi'an metro is carried out by purchasing tickets from specialized machines at the entrance to each station. They have a menu in English, which greatly simplifies the task for foreign visitors.
Tickets are subject to check reading at the turnstiles at the entrance. Disabled people and schoolchildren enjoy privileges when paying for travel.
